Itamaraca - General Information
Itamaraca is a tropical island off the North east coast Brasil. Itamaraca is in the state of Pernambucco. The island is reached by a 400 metre bridge from the mainland and has stunning beaches, beautiful scenery and a unique charm. This charm is further enhanced by the local inhabitants.
The island provides basic shopping needs. Amenities include supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, fresh fish deliveries and fish market , ice cream parlour, hardware store, decorating store, furniture store,electric store, garden centres, bank, gym, internet shop, good hotel and pousadas. The town square provides a good enertainment schedule at weekends. The Yacht club is a favourite venue for a good sunday lunch.
A clinic for medical help is on the island, Hospital is within 15 minutes.
A frequent open air tourismo bus runs round the island and an excellent coach service will take you further afield. Igarsuu is 15-20 minutes away, here you will find a wider selection of supermarkets, banks and restaurants. A fresh produce market is very popular, a fantastic opportunity to taste an array of exotic fruits and foods at rock bottom prices.
The highway BR101 is currently being updated and vastly improved, this road links Natal to Recife and has cut traveling time drastically.
The island is 50 minutes north of Recife International Airport and 80 minutes south of Joao Pessoa. Joao Pessoa now has an International airport .
Tourism
A complete tour around the city can take a whole day, including scenery viewing, visits to Historical buildings, a bath in the ocean and a meal with fish and seafood. For those interested in the ecosystem, a recommended option is to visit the mangrove reserves, at the banks of Santa Cruz river, right at the entrance of the city.
The Forte Orange is also worthy a visit. Built in 1631 by the Dutch, the fortress exhibits a collection of Dutch maps and pieces from the period they lived here.
To enjoy the sunny weather, visit the beaches of the Forte, Coroa do Avião, Enseada dos Golfinhos and Pontal da Ilha. To learn more about the sea life, schedule a visit to the Centro de Mamíferos Aquáticos (Water Mamals Center). This center is a protected area for procriation of manatees, and is open for visitations from Tuesday to Sunday.
By night, try to visit Jaguaribe beach and watch a group of ciranda; the most famous is the one led by singer Lia de Itamaracá.
History
The word Itamaracá is of indian origin and means "stone that sings" or "singing stone". Forte Orange Acording to History records, the first settlements date back to 1508; in 1540, Itamaracá was already promoted to village. This makes Itamaracá one of the oldest cities in Brazil.
One of the most important Historic landmarks in the Northeast of the Brazil is the Forte Orange (photo). The Forte Orange (Orange Fortress) was built in 1631 by the Dutch invasors (hence the name, as Orange is the National color of Holland); The Dutch used the fortress as basis for the the invasion and occupation of Olinda (see History of Recife and Pernambuco).
Economy
Located in the northern coast of Pernambuco, the island of Itamaracá has the economy strongly based on fishing, farming and some tourism. The beaches of Itamaracá are much visited, particularly by people who live in Olinda and Recife; before the recent explosion of Porto de Galinhas, Itamaracá used to be the preferred place to keep a beach house. The culture of the city is also prominent; known as "the capital of ciranda", the Island of Itamaracá has groups which struggle to keep this kind of regional dance alive. The Pilar, the Forte Orange, the Coroa do Avião and the famous Vila Velha (Old Village) are some of the places that attract tourists from all over Brazil.
The Coroa do Avião (Crown of the Airplane) is an extense sand bank located between the Island of Itamaracá and the Continent; the place is used for researching on the habits of migratory birds. The place is lined with small restaurants and stalls, which catter for the many boats of all sizes which bring the visitors; see these pictures of the Coroa do Avião.
Ilha de Itamaracá To give an extra boost to the local economy, the Pernambuco State Government is making investments to include the area in the Nautical Touristic Circuit of Brazil. The planning is the construction of seven mooring piers in the beaches of Maria Farinha, Coroa do Avião, Itamaracá, Catuama and in the estuaries of Nova Cruz, Igarassu and Itapissuma. These areas are being equiped with convenience stores, bars, information booths, exhibition places and sanitaries.
The Circuit is increasing the tourist flow in the North Coast of Pernambuco; this area is considered the biggest nautical cluster of the Northeast of Brazil, with a fleet of about two thousand boats. The project includes also investments in the nautical industry to prepare the sector for repair and maintenance of the fleet, generating more jobs and bringing more progress to the region.
In the agriculture, the main cultures are of banana, beans, coconuts, manyoc and sugar cane.
Besides the island of Itamaracá, the Metropolitan Region of Recife comprehends also the cities of Recife, Olinda, Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Abreu e Lima, Paulista, Igarassu, Itapissuma, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Ipojuca, Camaragibe, São Lourenço da Mata, Araçoiaba and Moreno.
